Portable wardrobe.



W. F. EIGHELMAN.

PORTABLE WARDROBE. APPLIOATION FILED APR.12,4-1909.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

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PORTABLE, WARDROBEV Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

. Application niecraprn 12, 1909. senaiiv'o. 489,532.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. EXCEED MAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Portable Wardrobes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wardrobe appliances and has especial reference to devices for protecting garments from dust and moths.

The paramount objects of the improve ments which form the subject matter. of this application are: venientand portable receptacle adapted to contain a number of garments, the device being so constructed that the articles of wearing apparel placed therein will be properly supported to furnish a device of the character stated that may be readily attached to a wall or other support, and to produce a garfectually exclude dust and prevent the access to the interior of moths or other insects injurious to clothing.

More specifically stated my invention has for its purposes the provision of a garment protective device so constructed that it may be readily collapsed relatively to its support, thus adapting it to be used in contracted. spaces such as closets or small rooms; the ap pliance also being so designed that it may be easily removed from its support and reduced by folding to a comparatively small compass, thus rendering it easily trans ortable.

Further objects are to pro uce a portable garment holder and readily attached to a wall or door and that will be strong and durable, and that can be economically manufactured.

I accomplish the desired results by employing the appliance illustrated inthe accompa nying drawing, which forms a part of this aplication, the important details of construction being disclosed. in the following views Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im- "roved portable wardrobe complete; Figs. 2 and 3 are front and side elevations, respectively, of the swinging shelf and bracket, the protective bag being removed; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the shelf shown in the prevvious views; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of shelf; Fig. 6 is a view of the bag clamping member adapted for use with the shelf shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is a view showing a bag clamping member adapted to V the required strength.

to provide a simple, conprotector that can be be used with the modified shelf illustrated in Fig. 5.

Referring to the details of the drawing, the

numeral 1O indicates a shelf of any desired dimensions, foldably secured to a bracket 11 by suitable hinges 12. lprefer to make both shelf and bracket of wood, and to employ for the hinges the strap type shown, to afford The bracket 11 is furnished with hangers 13 furnished with screw holes to facilitate attaching the device to a wall or door. For the purpose of relieving the strain upon the linges and to strengthen the shelf, a brace, in the. form of a cleat 14, triangular in cross-section, is se cured to the under side of the shelf, flush with the back edge, so that the rear face of the cleat will bear against the bracket when the shelf is extended in operative position as 1 shown in Fig. 3. ment holder having a covering that will ef- The under side of the shelf 10 is furnished with suitable garment hooks 15, from which clothes or clothes hangers may be hung.

The front corners of the shelf are rounded and its margin, upon the front and sides, has a groove 16 formed therein in which is seated a yoke or bag clamping member 17, consisting of a suitable wire or small rod, bent into a quadrilateral form of proper dimensions to completely surround the shelf (Fig. 6). The front side of this clamp is left open at 18, and the ends of the rod or wire are bent to form handles 19, and by separating these bent ends the clamp or clasp may be expanded sufficiently to permit of its being placed in position in the groove 16, or removed therefrom, the wire being of sufficient resiliency to cause the clasp to firmly engage its seat in said groove. When the ends 19 are separated those portions of the wire forming the sides 20 of the clamp will be more widely spread at the front than the rear, and to permit the rear portions to become readily disengaged, under these conditions, the wall of the grooveis cut away on the underside of the shelf, as indicated at 21. The end portions 20 of the clamp 17 are so proportioned that the rear connecting side 22 extends beyond the rear edge of the shelf, and is lodged in a groove 23, formed in the front face of the bracket 11, being located so as to be covered by the rear edge of the shelf when the latter is in its extended or horizontal position, When the shelf is in this position, the clamp will be locked within the groove 23, and if the said wire is disengaged front ends than at plate 11, with the shelf ends 19 through 'tached bag,

.means of suitablescrews or passing through the holes 1n from the shelf 10 by separating the ends 19, the clamp may then be turned on the side 22, as on a hinge, so that it will incline downwardly at its forward portion.

For the purpose of providing an efficient protective covering for the garments when suspended u on the hooks 15 a bag 24 made of any suitable fabric, and of sufficient dimensions to include the shelf within its mouth, is attached to the wire 17, by means of a hem surrounding the mouth of the bag, the said wire being inserted within the hem so as to keep the bag mouth distended. The of the clamp are allowedto project a suitable opening in the hem, and when the clamp with the bag thus supported thereon, is inserted in the groove 16 of the shelf, the latter-will form a complete closure for said bag, and the resiliency of the clasp or'olamp will hold the mouth of the bag in such close contact with the edges of the shelf as to exclude any dust and prevent the entrance of moths or other insects injurious to the clothing. The bag mouth is made sufficiently full where it is gathered upon the clamp to permit of the needed expansion when the clasp ends 19 are separated.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of bag closure, or-shelf 25, adapted to be used with a special clam 26, illustrated in Fig. 7. In this case the 0 amp is completely closed, and in order to allow it to be readily applied to the shelf 25 so as to occupy the groove 16, the lower wall of the latter is cut entirely away or rabbeted upon each end of the shelf, as at 27. These rabbets are wider at their the rear, thus producing Inclined inner walls 28, and the clamp 26 is made longer 011 the rear side 29 than the front so that the ends 30 will lie parallel with the said walls 28, and hug them closely when the parts are assembled, thus forming an efficient closure. When this modified form of bag clasp is employed the rear portion 29 will lie in the groove 23 in the bracket 11, in the same manner as previously described for the member 22, of the shape illustrated in Fig. 6, and be locked therein by the rear edge of the shelf. hen the clasp 26 is employed it cannot be removed so long as the shelf remains in a horizontal or extended position. To remove the said clasp it is necessary to raise the shelf 25 on its hinges to clear the groove 23, and thencarry the clasp with atbodily forward until its front side is disengaged from the groove 16. In this modified form the brace or cleat 14 is omitted since it would interfere with the assembling of the closed clas 26.

The manner of using t e device thus described in detail is as follows z-The bracket hinged thereto, is attached to a wall or other support by other fastenings the-hangers 13.

the inside of a closet If desired the shelf may be thus attached. to

door and may be advantageously located thus when the closet area is comparatively small, and when so arranged the shelf and bag will be entirely concealed when the door is closed, and when open the device will be swung outside the closet, when it will not only have the advantage of being convenient of access, but will be exposed to the full light of the apartment from which the closet opens. The shelf having thus been secured in position the clasp or clamp upon which the bag has been previously gathered, will be placed with its rear side engaging the groove 23 in the bracket, the shelf having been raised sufficiently to uncover the groove. lhe shelf will then be lowered to its horizontal position, securing the clasp in its seat in the bracket, and the ends 19 of the clasp being separated the wire 17 is made to embrace the shelf, and when the ends or handles 19 are released. thesaid wire will fall within the groove 16, holding the mouth of the bag closed tightly about the shelf, the gathered margin of the mouth completely filling said grooves, thus making the receptacle dust and moth proof. To insert garments, it is only necessary to unclasp the clamping member 17 and lower it upon its hinged side, formed by the member 22 in the groove 23, and suspend the clothing upon the hooks 15, and for this purpose I prefer the use of hangers of any convenient form upon which the garments are placed and the hangers then hung upon the hooks. A preferable method, of placing the articles of wearing apparel when there are several garments to be hung, is to raise the shelf far enough to permit the clamping wire 17 to be entirely released, when it may be dropped with the bag to the floor, permitting an unobstructed access to the hooks, and when the clothing is properly disposed the bag can be raised, and as its mouth is held distended by the wire, it can be readily drawn over the garments and made to engage the shelf as previously explained. If desired substances that are obnoxious to insects or disinfectants may be placed within the receptacle, to insure their preservation, and keep the bag and contents in a hygienic condition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, is

1. A wardrobe comprising a grooved bracket, a shelf hinged to said bracket and arranged to cover said groove when extended, a clas) surrounding said shelf and engaging sai groove and a bag suspended upon said clasp.

2. A wardrobe comprising a bracket, a clasp removably engaging the bracket, a bag suspended on said clasp, and a shelf hinged on said bracket and forming a closure for said bag.

shelf hinged to said bracket, a bag surrounding said shelf, and a clasp adapted to hold the mouth of the bag in engagement with the shelf margins to form a closure for said bag.

4. A wardrobe comprising a bracket adapted to be attached to a support, a shelf hinged on said bracket, garment hooks attached to said shelf, a bag surrounding'the shelf, and a clasp surrounding the shelf and adapted to hold the mouth of the bag in contact with the shelf margins.

5. A wardrobe comprising a bracket, a clasp removably engaging the bracket, a bag suspended upon said clasp, a shelf supported on the bracket andforming a closure for the said bag, said shelf adapted to retain the clasp in engagement with said bracket, garment hooks attached to the shelf, and a brace for said shelf.

6. A wardrobe comprising a bracket, a clasp removably hinged on said bracket, a bag suspended upon said clasp and a shelf hinged to the bracket and forming a closure for said bag.

7. A wardrobe comprising a bracket plate having a groove in its face, a shelf hinged on said bracket and adapted to cover said groove when extended, said shelf having a marginal groove upon three sides, a clasp adapted to removably engage the grooves in both bracket and shelf, and a bag suspended upon said clasp.

. In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in the'presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. EICHELMAN.

Witnesses BEN EIGHELMAN, F. BENJAMIN. 

